December 18, 2018
During the holidays and all year long, millions of individuals and families who struggle against hunger are able to access healthy food with support from the federal nutrition programs. To celebrate the nation’s nutrition safety net, FRAC is releasing a seven-part “Remember This December” series that will highlight the impact of seven important federal nutrition programs.
This is the fourth installment of the series, which focuses on summer meals. Read the previous installment on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Once the school year ends, millions of students worry about where their next meal will come from instead of enjoying their summer break. The Summer Nutrition Programs provide meals and snacks that take the place of school breakfast and school lunch, helping to ensure that children do not face a nutrition gap once they no longer have access to school meals. Dive into the key facts below about summer meals:
- Summer meals provide much-needed nutrition for millions of children: In July 2017, the Summer Nutrition Programs served lunch to more than 3 million children on an average weekday. Just over half — 1.6 million — of those children received a summer breakfast.
- Summer meals and summer programs combined prevent learning loss and nutrition gaps: Summer meals sites that offer educational and enrichment activities provide children with what they need: activities that keep them learning throughout the summer and nutrition that allows them to return to school in the fall healthy and ready to learn.
- Summer meals fuel children’s minds and bodies: The Summer Nutrition Programs contribute to children’s healthy growth and development by providing access to nutritious meals and snacks during the summer — a time when children can be more at risk for hunger and weight gain.
- Summer meals matter in your community: Summer Nutrition Programs operate everywhere, ensuring children 18 and under throughout the country are fed, learning, active, and safe during the summer months. Meal sites can be located at hospitals, libraries, schools, faith-based organizations, YMCAs, and more.
Learn more about summer meals at FRAC.org, and share our “Remember This December” summer meals graphic.
Watch our video on the importance of the federal nutrition programs.
